Minister Pitted Against Sitting BJP MLA Kishan Reddy Faces Uphill Task In New Constituency
“Do you expect us to drink water which stinks? For the last one month, this is our situation. If this is not rectified, we will not cast our votes,” Vonteddu Shakuntala of Mandula Basthi, Bagh Amberpet thundered on Tuesday. The man at the receiving end of Shakuntala’s ire was Mohd Fareeduddin, minister for cooperation and Congress nominee from Amberpet assembly constituency.
Amberpet constituency is the new avtar of what was once Himayatnagar, represented by BJP’s G Kishan Reddy in the last assembly, against whom Fareeduddin is competing now. Kishan Reddy has begun campaigning much before Fareeduddin, who held the Zaheerabad assembly seat in the last assembly, stepped into the constituency for the first time
No sooner than Fareeduddin had begun his campaigning, he met with inconvenient questions like the one from Shakuntala. But the minister clarified that this could not be rectified rightaway due to the election code. In the meanwhile, he wrote his name and mobile number on a piece of paper and told her, “Call me after the elections and the problem will be solved.”
Yet Shakuntala was not convinced. “You politicians make promises now and do not even recognise us after elections. Are we asking you for money? We are only asking you to solve our genuine problem,” she fumed. Another woman G Saraswathi of Kummariwadi said she had not been getting widow pension and was not even given a white ration card.
Fareeduddin then moved on for door to door campaigning at Bharat Nagar, Amberpet, Bagh Amberpet, Ashur Khana and other areas, accompanied by party workers donning party caps and a brass band. At Bagh Amberpet, Fareeduddin stopped to talk to Ameena Begum, an 81-year-old woman. “Apki Vote ke sath sath apki dua deejiye (Give me your blessing along with your vote),” he requested her.
However not all Congressmen are indulging in this sort of a positive campaign. A local leader Narayana Swami told a resident of Bharatnagar, B Laxmi: “If the Congress does not come to power you will lose your white ration card and there will be no Arogya Sri.”
Apart from its pet schemes, the Congress is banking heavily on the 18 per cent Muslim voters for winning the seat. “Yes, there is a considerable number of Muslim votes but I am not banking only on those votes. All people, irrespective of their religion or caste, are with Congress party,” Fareeduddin told TOI.
The Congress nominee said he was also trying to woo Congress leader V Hanumantha Rao, who had been unhappy at his candidature from thisconstituency. He hopes to get Rao’s support in the elections.
Meanwhile, BJP’s Kishan Reddy who had completed his first round of campaign in the constituency urged the people to vote for him considering the developmental works he had taken in the area. “Last time you voted for me because of my party, this time give your votes to me for my development works and for my party affinity,” Kishan Reddy urged the voters in Tilak Nagar.
The TRS has fielded K Jagadeshwar as its nominee from this segment. The Mahakutami candidate who began his campaign a few days ago is hopeful of getting elected on the Telangana sentiment along with the support of TDP and Communist parties.
CONSTITUENCY PROFILE
Total Voters: 1,91,053
Male voters: 98,600 | Female voters: 92,453
Assembly segments: Kachiguda, Barkatpura, Golnaka, Nallakunta, New Nallakunta, Central Excise colony, Bagh Amberpet, Amberpet, Tilaknagar, Lingampally, Nimboli Adda, New Patel Nagar, Patel Nagar, Chappal Bazar and Rahmath Bagh
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